Violet nodded. “Ever since his death, the Nightmare Division has wanted to station some Banishers and Nethermancers here to protect us.”
And to keep me away, Charlie thought. Even though he didn’t exactly know the terms of his exile, he knew they wouldn’t want him anywhere near the Academy.
“So why did you come here, DT?” Theodore asked. “Is it about what’s going on in Central Park?”
Once again, Charlie found it freaky how easily Theodore could read his mind. He nodded. “What do you know about it?”
“Well, what I heard,” Brooke said, “is that, apparently, the Division used some kind of X-ray equipment to look into the mist.”
“And there’s things in there!” Theodore exclaimed. “Gross, snail-like creatures. And something else too. Something big is growing in the fog. Something giant.”
Something giant growing in the fog. That didn’t sound good.
“Someone needs to check it out,” Charlie said. “And I figure that someone is us. Who’s with me?”
But before they could answer, a familiar voice rang out.
“What are y’all yappin’ about?”
“Mama Rose!” Charlie yelled as the Housemistress of the Nightmare Academy stepped into view. “Great to see you!”
“I wish I could say the same,” the large woman sniffed, her meaty hands on her thick hips. “You’re skin and bones, Charlie Benjamin! Now follow me so we can get some grub into you pronto.”
Before Charlie could resist, Mama Rose roughly ushered them up to the pirate ship at the very top of the Academy - ever since Slagguron’s attack had destroyed the galley, the students had been using it as their new mess hall. Steaming piles of pancakes were heaped in towering stacks on a great wooden table.
“Pancakes for dinner?” Charlie asked with a grin.
“And why not?” Mama Rose replied, her southern accent as thick as the maple syrup that dripped off the food. “They don’t call them ‘breakfast cakes’, do they? They call ’em pancakes and pan is just the Greek word for ‘all’, which means you can eat ’em all the time.”
“Are you nuts?” Theodore howled. “They call them pancakes cos you cook them in a pan. Duh.”
“Well, don’t you just know everything, Theodore Dagget!” Mama Rose shot Charlie a wink and he couldn’t help but laugh.
It was good to be home. Or at least Charlie felt that way until he saw Geoff Lench - Brooke’s too-handsome, too-strong, too-everything boyfriend. The tall, blond boy bounded over. “Well, look who’s back. It’s Charlie Benja-traitor.”
“Benja-traitor?” Theodore replied with a snort. “Was that supposed to be a joke? Because usually jokes have some element of humour in them.”
“Shut up, Theo-dumb.”
Theodore shrieked with fake laughter. “Theo…dumb! Genius! In fact…it’s so funny that…I’m dying…from…hilarity…”
Theodore laughed so violently that he fell off the bench and on to the floor, where he twitched a few times and then went still.
“Ha, ha,” Geoff said as he sat down next to Brooke. “Your friends are morons, you know that?”
“They’re funny,” she replied, “and I like them.”
“Well, you’re the only one. You really need to stay away from these clowns, Brooke - particularly the exile.” He shot a withering glance at Charlie. “I leave tomorrow morning to start my job at the Division - Facilitator, Rank 1, thank you very much, hold the applause. They’ll be asking you to come and join me soon, Brooke, if you just don’t blow it.”
“I haven’t decided what I want to do yet,” Brooke said, looking away.
“There he is!” a cheerful voice boomed out and Charlie turned to see a flash of colour scrambling up one of the giant branches of the Academy, partially obscured by wide, green leaves. “Charlie Benjamin, monster hunter!”
“Professor Xix!”
The giant, friendly Netherstalker leaped from the branch and on to the deck of the pirate ship. “Indeed it is. I’ve been missing you, lad. Good to see you whole and well!”
“I was just thinking the same thing about you! Hey - this is the first time I’ve ever seen you up in the tree.”
“Because it’s the first time I’ve ever been able to come here! With the Guardian’s aura no longer preventing Nethercreatures from getting near the Academy, there’s nothing to stop me any more. I quite love it, actually - so peaceful, so much fun. It makes me realise what I’ve been missing all these years, down in those dank Banishing caves, tending to my beasties.” He absently cleaned one of his five eyestalks with a black, bristly foreleg. “To tell you the truth, I don’t think I ever want to leave.”
“Then don’t,” Charlie replied with a smile. It was good to see the Academy’s Beastmaster so happy.
“Would you like some dinner, Professor?” Violet offered, gesturing to the pancakes.
“Don’t mind if I do.”
Quick as a blink, Xix snagged a cockatoo in mid-flight with a sticky line of webbing then yanked the squawking creature into his mouth in a colourful explosion of feathers.
“Delicious,” he said, chewing loudly.
Geoff turned to Brooke in disbelief. “And this is who you want to hang out with instead of me? A bunch of dorks and a bird-eating monster? Unbelievable.”
Suddenly, a portal snapped open beside them and several adults stepped through, all dressed in the starched uniform of the Nightmare Division.
“Charles Benjamin,” a deep voice said. It was a voice they all recognised.
“Dad…” Theodore said weakly.
CHAPTER FOUR EXILES AT THE ACADEMY
Theodore’s father, William, stepped through the portal and on to the deck of the pirate ship. The medals on his black uniform gleamed in the sun, identifying him as the General of the Nightmare Division.
“What are you doing here?” Theodore demanded. Charlie had never heard him take such a stern tone with his father. It made him sound…older somehow.
“Why I am here does not concern you.”
“But it concerns me,” Mama Rose said, stomping up to the much bigger man. “In the Headmaster’s absence, I’m the head honcho and I don’t like fools portalling in and out of my tree. Now state your business or be on your way.”
“All right,” William said, then turned to Charlie. “Mr Benjamin, your presence at the Nightmare Academy suggests you are under the impression that you can return to your studies. Clearly, you do not understand the terms of your exile.”
“I guess not,” Charlie replied, “probably because no one has ever bothered to talk to me about it.”
“Then let me clarify. You are no longer allowed on any property owned or controlled by the Nightmare Division - which includes the Nightmare Academy. You are to have no contact with anyone associated with either of these places, including your former fellow students.” He glanced warningly at Theodore. “Further, you are forbidden from interfering in our battle against the monsters of the Nether. You may fight them in self-defence, but that is all. If you have any questions, everything is spelled out here in great detail.” William held up a document with the words